The present invention relates to pillows used to support the head of a patient during anesthesia and more particularly to an anesthesia pillow that includes a resilient foam pillow body having a substantially rectangular box shaped bottom portion having a bottom pillow surface with a rectangular-shaped perimeter, and a number of upper surfaces that define a neck support channel, two tube access channels and a throat receiving channel.
Many patients must be anesthetized before an operation. Because some operations require the patient to lie face down and others require the patient to lie face up, it would be desirable to have an anesthesia pillow that could be used for both types of operations. In addition, because it may be difficult or impossible for a patient to lift his/her head to have the pillow put in place, it would be desirable to have an anesthesia pillow that included a split to allow the pillow to be opened for positioning the pillow into place and closed once the pillow is properly in position.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide an anesthesia pillow that includes a resilient foam pillow body having a substantially rectangular box shaped bottom portion having a bottom pillow surface with a rectangular-shaped perimeter, and a number of upper surfaces that define a neck support channel, two tube access channels and a throat receiving channel.
Accordingly, an anesthesia pillow is provided. The anesthesia pillow includes a resilient foam pillow body having a substantially rectangular box shaped bottom portion having a bottom pillow surface with a rectangular-shaped perimeter, and a number of upper surfaces that define a neck support channel, two tube access channels and a throat receiving channel. The resilient foam pillow body further includes a hub opening formed through the bottom pillow surface into connection with the neck support channel, the two tube access channels and the throat receiving channel and a shoulder contact surface at one end oriented perpendicular to the bottom pillow surface and a collar bone contact surface opposite the shoulder contact surface and perpendicular to the bottom pillow surface. The throat receiving channel is open along a throat channel top thereof and has a first throat receiving channel end opening in connection with the hub opening, a second throat receiving channel end opening passing through the collar bone contact surface, and a throat receiving channel bottom surface oriented at an acute throat channel bottom angle of between ten and twenty degrees. The throat receiving channel bottom surface is farther from the bottom pillow surface at the first throat receiving channel end opening than at the second throat receiving channel end opening. The neck support channel is open along a neck support channel top thereof and has a first neck support channel end opening in connection with the hub opening, a second neck support channel end opening passing through the shoulder contact surface, and a neck support channel bottom surface oriented at an acute neck support angle of between ten and twenty degrees. The neck support channel bottom surface is farther from the pillow bottom surface at the first neck support channel end opening than at the second neck support channel end opening. Each of the tube access channels is a mirror image of the other. Each tube access channel is open along an access channel top thereof and has a first tube access channel end opening in connection with the hub opening, a second tube access channel end opening passing through the shoulder contact surface, and a tube access channel bottom surface oriented at an acute tube access channel angle of between ten and twenty degrees. Each tube access channel bottom surface is farther from the pillow bottom surface lower at the first tube access channel end opening than at the second tube access channel end opening. Each tube access channel has access channel sidewalls oriented at an angle of between ten and twenty degrees with respect to the shoulder contact surface such that the first tube access channel end opening is closer to the shoulder contact surface than the second tube access channel end opening. The neck support channel has a neck support structure along each side thereof between the first neck support channel end opening and the second neck support channel end opening. Each neck support structure has first and second, substantially, planar neck support structure top surfaces. The first neck support structure top surface is substantially rectangular and extends from the shoulder contact surface at a first neck support structure top surface angle of between fifteen and thirty degrees and terminates in a top surface contact edge. The second neck support structure top surface extends from an upper edge of an access channel sidewall at a second neck support structure top surface angle of between ten and twenty degrees and terminates in connection with a top surface contact edge. The first neck support structure top surface angle is greater than the second neck support structure top surface angle. The resilient foam pillow body has a split therethrough that passes entirely through the shoulder contact surface and continues through the resilient foam pillow body into connection with an entire hub opening defining surface closest to the shoulder contact surface in a manner to define a longitudinal hub opening access path between two, planar, facing, split-defining surfaces each of which is provided with hook and pile fastener material that is companionate with the hook and pile fastener material provided on the other planar, facing, split-defining surface.